For weeks on end in the recent past there had been one movie people had insistently reminded me of and repeatedly praised without fault: Zootopia. Now to say I was skeptical was an understatement; I was never much of an animation junkie, and Zootopia was no exception. No top of that, I wasn’t exactly too crazy about Disney’s latest animation hit Frozen (while Big Hero 6 came out after Frozen, it wasn’t nearly as big in sales and popularity.) Ultimately it was word of mouth and circumstance that put me in a position to view Zootopia, and it did not disappoint.
I find it especially difficult to pick apart and judge animated movies; qualities such as directing usually don’t make or break a movie, and Disney had pretty much got their animation quality down to a science. As expected the animation looks great, with non human characters showing emotion convincingly and in a more human way than some physical acting in recent movies.
While the animation is really what you would expect from Disney, it’s the art styles that ultimately give the viewer a breath of fresh air. The city of Zootopia itself in which much of the movie takes place is split into various sections, with each section depicting different animal habitats spliced in with modern technology and architecture found in any major bustling city in the world. I found these locations not only fun to watch, but fit logically within the world they existed it. Said locations were actually believable at times to the point where I forgot I was watching a buddy-cop animation featuring talking animals, and rather was just engrossed in the movie itself.
The voice acting cast of this film knocks it out of the park, with leads Ginnifer Goodwin (as Officer Judy Hopps) and Jason Bateman (as Nick Wilde) delivering both an impactful and convincing performance. Moments in the movie that are intended to tug on the heart-strings rely incredibly so on the performances of these actors, and they don’t fall flat at all. Other smaller voice roles include big names such as Idris Elba, J.K Simmons, and even a well known pop music artist (whose name I won’t release here for sake of spoilers) that left me relatively surprised for most of the movie, watching diligently to see if I could recognize and other voices from other movies I had come to love.
It is not the animation, not the voice acting, nor the art direction that sets Zootopia apart from the rest of Disney’s numerous animated movies in recent years however. And while the concept of a buddy-cop animated movie is also a breath of fresh air from the usual classic fairy tale or magical conundrum, the real kicker for Zootopia is the message.
Tackling difficult thematic elements such as racism and stereotyping, Zootopia offers a brilliant take on one of the world’s most prevalent and terribly dark problems. Said problems are framed expertly, offering an experience that is simple enough for young children to understand, and complex enough for adults to enjoy and actually think about. The comedic relief is crafted well in Zootopia and at times is very much needed, as the film hits at times a tone that leaves the audience’s collective heart sinking.
Racism is a theme often tackled but also often not executed well in recent films. Even if it is executed well, it’s in such a dark and gritty form, it isn’t in good conscious accessible to children. Zootopia breaks down this wall, and crafts an incredibly fun yet sad and thought-provoking movie, with a message that truly is relevant and topical to today’s world.
In conclusion, while Zootopia may seem to some (namely myself before I actually saw the movie) as just another Disney animation, it very much surpasses that title. The production itself is wonderful as with most Disney animations, however it is ultimately the relevant and heart-heavy writing and message of Zootopia that justifies it as the highest grossing film (so far) of 2016, beating out Zack Snyder’s Batman vs. Superman, what was arguably one of the most anticipated films of all time. Disney skeptic or not, Zootopia is 100% worth the watch and even a purchase on Blu-Ray in the coming months; it’s simply one of those animated movies that will be revered for years to come, and is something you don’t want to miss.
